Lane Hutson Took Over the Rookie Scoring Lead

Just a short time ago, we were all wondering when Lane Hutson would get his first NHL goal. His assists have been growing for weeks, and now, at the halfway point, he’s playing his best hockey of the season

Hutson now has three goals on the season possibly on his way to seven or eight this season. He has a chance to lead his team in assists. Today, he has 27 assists, two off the team lead. Nick Suzuki has 29. It’s amazing that Hutson has caught up to him.

Related: Lane Hutson Gets Brotherly Praise

Hutson’s seven-game point streak beat a Canadiens’ rookie record held by Glen Harmon and Chris Chelios. The American blueliner is the fastest to 30 career points in 42 games. Chelios did this previously in 45 games. Hutson is starting to become synonymous with an all-time great in his rookie season.

If Hutson does become a top-notch player, just think about how many teams passed on him. I get that he’s 5’9” but his stick and puck control and general offensive output had always been elite before he hit the NHL. I get that there was a big element of risk in drafting him but the Canadiens had the guts and the payoff could be massive.

Barring injury, Hutson will be a Calder Finalist. I’m a voter and he’s on my radar. With the way that he’s trending, winning it is possible. He’s averaging 22:38 TOI and some games are 25 or 26 minutes. If his plus/minus continues to improve, his season could be memorabler for many reasons.